Wendy Zukerman (Host)

It can lead to child death or with intellectual disability. And encephalitis is actually another reason that you can die from measles.

It can lead to child death or with intellectual disability. And encephalitis is actually another reason that you can die from measles.

I read that it's possible in rare cases, maybe less than one in 10,000, that the measles virus can get into the brain. The virus itself gets into the brain and can almost learn how to infect the brain.

I read that it's possible in rare cases, maybe less than one in 10,000, that the measles virus can get into the brain. The virus itself gets into the brain and can almost learn how to infect the brain.

This is... I read this case report of a 16-year-old boy who came into a medical centre because he had been feeling weak, he was having some bladder problems. 16-year-old kid, lost his balance and then started having seizures. And the doctors worked out that it was this condition, it was from a measles infection, that he got when he was two months old. So it had been sitting in his body for...

This is... I read this case report of a 16-year-old boy who came into a medical centre because he had been feeling weak, he was having some bladder problems. 16-year-old kid, lost his balance and then started having seizures. And the doctors worked out that it was this condition, it was from a measles infection, that he got when he was two months old. So it had been sitting in his body for...

in his brain for 16 years, and then he did end up dying from it. That is so terrifying. It's so terrifying.

in his brain for 16 years, and then he did end up dying from it. That is so terrifying. It's so terrifying.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who's the Health and Human Services Secretary, said it's very difficult for measles to kill a healthy person.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who's the Health and Human Services Secretary, said it's very difficult for measles to kill a healthy person.

Now, if you are immunocompromised, you're sick, pregnant, or you're a little baby, thanks for listening to this podcast, you are at a greater risk of having a nastier measles infection. We also know that the measles death rate is higher in certain developing countries where you might have worse health care and some kids might be malnourished.

Now, if you are immunocompromised, you're sick, pregnant, or you're a little baby, thanks for listening to this podcast, you are at a greater risk of having a nastier measles infection. We also know that the measles death rate is higher in certain developing countries where you might have worse health care and some kids might be malnourished.

But Maru told us that even if that's not you, there's no guarantees here.

But Maru told us that even if that's not you, there's no guarantees here.

Yeah. The two children who died from measles in the U.S., I think they were healthy, had no known underlying conditions. Yeah.

Yeah. The two children who died from measles in the U.S., I think they were healthy, had no known underlying conditions. Yeah.

So, is measles scary? Are we overreacting with this current outbreak in the US? You decide. In the US right now, we've got around one in 10 hospitalized, at least two out of 800 dead, and it's hitting kids particularly hard.

So, is measles scary? Are we overreacting with this current outbreak in the US? You decide. In the US right now, we've got around one in 10 hospitalized, at least two out of 800 dead, and it's hitting kids particularly hard.

And even if you get measles and bounce back straight away, it could muck about with your immune system, making it weaker for a while and putting you at a higher risk of other nasty infections. Now, let's look at how contagious measles is. Because one thing that you hear over and over again is that it's extremely contagious. So what are we talking about here?

And even if you get measles and bounce back straight away, it could muck about with your immune system, making it weaker for a while and putting you at a higher risk of other nasty infections. Now, let's look at how contagious measles is. Because one thing that you hear over and over again is that it's extremely contagious. So what are we talking about here?